Auto-Converting Optimus Prime and Trailer

I so want these Robosen Transformers toys!

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxEA_XJd_8pfPR5QSUoUNcSbrK9sRPeZ8j?si=ItYcWI_OPQwxgQWa 

You like?

Did you make an Advent Wreath?

It the first of Advent today and I was recently talking to a mate about making the Blue Peter Advent wreath  based on what Valerie, Peter and John made earlier! ( Blue Peter was a 1960's and 70's UK kids TV show).

I'm pretty sure it was made from two coathangers somehow joined in the middle with tinsel wrapped round it 

I've no idea now how the candles were fixed but maybe they were just placed in the four gaps. 

Was the whole thing rested on a plate or something?

Candles and tinsel seem a bit flammable to me now! 

Did you make one readers or anything else home-made for Advent or Christmas? Snowmen, candles, sweet boxes, lanterns, cards?

Corgi Model Club's Exclusive Re-issue Corgi Toys 267 Batmobile with Batman and Robin

Holy Cow! 

https://vimeo.com/1017965992?fl=pl&fe=sh

Anyone got one? 

Hi I'm Karin!

I'm mesmerized by this Citróen Karin. Really, the stuff of front-seated dreams. Do you like it? Anyone got anything like it?

https://youtu.be/o1EgrDtpx4o?si=nFdgtWVOel86Gdzy

That's the Spirit!

Christmas Films? What will You be Watching?

Which films will you be watching this festive season? It's the first of Advent on Sunday so the proper countdown begins then so it's OK to watch seasonal flicks!

Maybe Scrooge, Scrooged, Elf, It's a Wonderful Life, the Grinch, Die Hard, Black Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, Home Alone, Whistle Down the Wind, the Snowman, Father Christmas. Wow! So many!

I particularly like William Shatner's Christmas Horror Story set in Bailey Downs. Bill gets merry on egg nog on air. It's great!

So what will you be watching readers?

Peanuts 75th Anniversary

Hi

I have only just noticed this – 2025 is the 75th Anniversary of the Peanuts comic strip. Written and drawn by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (1922-2000), from 1950 until his death in 2000.

Peanuts featured the adventures of a boy named Charlie Brown, and his pet Beagle named Snoopy. Snoopy lived in a small kennel, which he often flew in combat with the Red Baron, as he dreamed he was a WW1 fighter ace.

Hot Wheels released a Hot Rod version of Snoopy's doghouse in 2014. The model was metal, with Snoopy in white plastic, with black detail painting, on the roof.

There have been numerous Mainline and premium versions since then. The finish of the model is always the same – black and white Snoopy, red doghouse, and green base, with a silver V8 engine.

While the finish remains the same, the type and colour of the wheels does differ. Those at the rear are larger than the front wheels.

For 2025 there are Anniversary models of Snoopy in both the Mainline (Screen Time sub-series), and the Pop Culture premium range. The Mainline card carries a small 75 Years logo next to the Peanuts name, in the upper left hand corner.

Two photos of my carded Anniversary model, and  this shot of an earlier version.

Do you like Peanuts?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Terror in Ganymede!

Attached is my latest Gouache sketch, "Terror on Ganymede."

SFZ

USA

Para Jet

 There's something about red and yellow in toys. It's so handsome.

This Para Jet is a corker!

Part jet, part toy gun, There's a handle and a parachute. Wow!

Do you like it?

Have you had your Secrets of Space?

 I love these old Secrets of Space cards from Weet-bix I saw online.

There's even a Moon Prospector!

This is 12 of the 20.

There's even a poster as described below! Wow! Anyone got one?

I love how you could swap with Sanitarium themselves! 

The Moon Suit, no. 13, is a really gorgeous card.

Is Weet-bix the same as Weetabix here in Blighty?

Foreshadowing the Equinox Boy

 Looking up video sleeves of late I saw this one for the early monster movie Equinox on Mountain video and thought, hmm, I've seen that boy's posture before. 

It's this diver on the Warren Eerie cover #3.

Similar? It's the hand that does it for me.

I wonder which came first?

The girl looks familiar too!

Lenin's Limo

 I saw this die cast car today in an emporium. 

Made in the USSR.

Is it called a Zul?

Is it too Early to Send Xmas Cards?

Well, all the November Christmassing in the shops, on the telly and trees appearing in homes has put me in an early festive mood, so much so, I've written my dozen Christmas cards and sent them today! 

I know, I know, it's still November, but I've sent them 2nd class so it'll probably be December when they get there! 

Restricted to just family these days, is it still too early to be sending Xmas cards? 

What do you think? Do you still bother? Do you send e-cards or texts?

Italian Space Board Games

 Awhile back Looey reminisced about an Italian tin moon surface board game he had as a kid and couldn't find online. I've looked too and no luck yet, but I did find a whole flotilla of other vintage space games from L'Italia. See what you think.

Low tech Space Box Art

After looking at Woodsys recent post about Tarheel Sword boxes and how they might have been made, I was soring through some of my old photos and fund some shots I had done a few years back for the Swizzels Spacefleet 2000 premiums.

I wanted a nostalgic look to the photos, that was reminiscent of the sixties box art (even though the candy premiums only appeared 20 odd years later!) So I got an astronomy book off the shelf, which showed nice clear pictures of the planets and various nebulae etc and propped it up in the kitchen.

Then I got a cereal box and a couple of wooden skewers, poked them into the box and balanced the empty cereal premiums on the end.

As i was after a slightly ethereal look t the shots, I put a diffusion filter on the camera lens, which gives a halo effect to the image. It keeps the subject relatively sharp, but blurs the edges for a halation effect.
 

Then I took the image into Photoshop, removed the skewer from the shot and added a distressed edge to the frame and voila! although the images are a little blurry, they fit the bill for what i was after and no A.I was involved!

Past Food

The taste of youth! Well mine at least: Arctic Roll, Angel Delight, Chicken crispy pancakes! heaven! Was it yours too?

And look at those huge Wimpy meals! I thought it was just a burger joint! Not a place I went although Preston did have a Wimpy bar. Everything was so cheap!

Did you have a Wimpy?

And Down Under those pastes must have tasted so good! 

What's the taste of your childhood readers?

Multiple Toymakers Pizza Delivery Van & Boat

I love this I saw on eBay.

Yet a other variation on a classic design.

The Multiple Toymakers N.Y. Pizza King van and boat!

I mean, wow! 

Century 21 Toys fans may recall the similar Topo Gigio ice cream van.

Do you like them?

The Thingy!

https://youtu.be/8DD5DukpO54?si=r_zE3gE3KdJ0oPG9 

further to your post about The Thing,  check this out, it's hilarious 😂 

MJ 

Treating Yourself in the Run-Up to Christmas?

Have you ever treated yourself to something this time of year? You know, with Santa gearing up and money being tight? Have you still gone ahead and got something for yourself anyway?

I'm in two minds. I collect VHS horror and I'm tempted to get one I've seen on offer. Very tempted. But that old black dog Guilt is bugging me and time is running out!

How do you feel about personal treats this time of year readers?

Snakes on a Train

You can get virtually anything 3D printed now. Here's a fairground ride car on some track that's pretty darn cool, the Anaconda. What do you think? 

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1865924465/anaconda-kings-dominion-looping-roller 

Ultra Seven Heaven

This is a fabulous Japanese webpage about Ultra Seven toys. Have you got anything like that?

https://www.miura-piano.com/7/u7-plaToyTT.htm 

A Handle on the Universe

There'sots to admire here on this bag. The terrain, the satellite and especially the moon truck.

It looks Japanese.

Any ideas readers?

The Thing Is

I'm just rewatching John Carpenter's The Thing. 

It's such a great film. OK it's basically a remake but I've never understood why it didn't become the revered Sci Fi giant that say Alien or Predator became.

Not even a franchise. 

Anyone got any ideas?

Moon in a Bag

This Japanese space toy looks ace.

It's a plastic moon globe sat on a LEM base.

There's what appears to be a list on the back, perhaps lunar locations?

I want one! You?

80 Years Young

Mattel celebrated 80 years of toymaking recently with a lovely addition to one of its all time best lines, Hot Wheels.

The Mattel Dream Mobile was originally produced as a large scale tin motor car as part of Mattels general toy line up. Since then, its added the Dream Mobile to its Hot Whhels line, in several colour variations. The deep crimson metallic finish, with commemorative decal is the most recent version. 

As this is a special edition, its hard to find in the UK and was very kindly presented to me by Terranova, who has the pleasure of living in New York!
 

Streets Ahead

Another news item today was the erection of a blue plaque on the house of the chap that invented Cluedo, one Anthony Pratt.

Interestingly the clip explained that Mr. Pratt was inspired to develop something by a neighbour who had invented the Buccaneer board game ten years earlier!

Small world! 

Do you or did you play either of these games readers?

Ghost Stands

I quite like these clear supports for models seen recently on eBay.

They're called Ghost Stands and come in various sizes. It's a neat idea for displaying your FAB1 or Space 1999 Eagle at an angle.

I haven't got one but what do you think readers? A stocking filler?

FAB1 on the Tracks

It's enough to make me want to start up slot car racing!

What do you think readers?

https://youtube.com/shorts/VrK2rOkRX40?si=rfttL9WXD1DH-lkD 

PS. Is it FAB1 or FAB 1?

Cashing In on Cal-El

Newsflash! Superman copy found in mum's attic is most valuable comic ever at $9.12m

Just goes to show it's always worth checking the attic! 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8e9rp0knj6o 

How much?

Blimey!

Have you found anything interesting stashed away in your house readers?

Fanta Nasty?

 

It always amazes me how once-derided characters can make a come-back.

Here's Chucky, the homicidal doll from the notorious Child's Play movie, emblazoned on the front of a bottle of red Fanta.

Is it even appropriate? Child's Play isn't a kids film.

I wonder if the Good Guy dolls in the Chucky films were ever actually sold in toy shops at the time? There's tons now, customs and more! It might be hard to find an original.

From public pariah to fizzy pop cover, the world of marketing is indeed strange.

What do you think?

PS.

Having said all that I do think Chucky's face

 is remarkably similar to Andy from the Century 21 Candy and Andy comics and books! 

Holy Choke! The Batman Car Ad

This is the TV spot for The Batman Batmobile. 

All bat muscle, I think this is the big toy version for 12" figures. Or is it?

Fantastic and Terrific!

 Finding a Fantastic comic badge yesterday, I had a gander at which issue it came with as a free gift back in the day.

This is the badge I found.

And turns out this is the issue of Fantastic and Terrific it came with, #54. This one's on eBay. 

I did get Fantastic comic for a while as a kid but I don't recall the badge. Do you?

Keeping Trim

 

I've just said goodbye to this Mike Trim signed print I've sold. I've always liked it and kept it pristine but I can let it go after 15 years.

I bought it off Mike Trim himself at his stall at the excellent 2010 Fanderson con in Brighton. 

Mike was signing stuff and a few people had brought their copies of the War of the Worlds album which he did the cover art for.

I think I asked Mike to sign my Project SWORD Cape Kennedy Set box top, which I unstapled and flattened for the trip!

Hard to believe it's 15 years ago!

Do you have any signed stuff readers?

Scalextric SPV Designer Interview

This is an interesting short conversation from the designer of the Scalextric SPV

https://youtu.be/2gaTJXe28vU?si=c-MreqsyTRFyhJmH . 

Is it a model you have readers?

Ponty Packed

 Missus Moonbase and me have been out to Pontefract dropping off charity bags and mooching round them at the same time.

Ponty's turning out to be a good place for vintage toys and stuff with its well-stocked  charity shops, the Etsy shop and the Magistrates Court packed with goodies.

My only purchase was a bargain I thought, £3 for all these old badges. There's some good ones you'll no doubt remember: Sky Ray Moon Fleet, One with TV Times Tivvy, Man from Uncle Bubble Gum, Batman, P'Nut Spaceman (What's that?) and more. I was chuffed with Aztecs, which I adored as a kid; Bruce Lee and Fantastic, a comic I got as a nipper. 

Did you have any of these?

More stuff I saw were:

Trikes, bikes and a colossal crane lamp.

Triang pedal car

Soviet pedal car, also in blue too 

One of many Star Wars figures cabinets

Raleigh Chopper, £1200! Ouch! I had one as a kid. Did you?

Lots of action figures

90's Stingray Marineville

Big Trak and figures including Rock Lord and Dungeons and Dragons.

See anything you like?